Elpis Enterprises

Our mission: Fostering Youth Development Through Social Enterprise.

While our vision is employment success for our trainees, our deeper goal is for the community to recognize our youth for their skills and talents—not to define them by their needs.

2025 has been an exceptional year for Elpis Enterprises. 

By year’s end, we will have hosted 36 paid internships for young people ages 16–24 who have experienced homelessness, teen parenting, justice involvement, or time in the foster care system—circumstances that often make it difficult to maintain steady employment or move beyond entry-level work.

Our work readiness program is rooted in the social enterprises we own and operate. In addition to our full-service imprint business (screen printing and embroidery), we run a small manufacturing venture that repurposes reclaimed cedar fencing into outdoor products such as bird feeders and nesting boxes. Elpis interns also lead hands-on community workshops at schools and neighborhood parks.

Our newest initiative is a sewing training program with an entrepreneurial focus. Participants create tote bags made from recycled coffee bean sacks and market them to coffee shops throughout Minnesota.

Below is a feature about Elpis from KARE 11’s Land of 10,000 Stories:

This Give to the Max Day, your support will go even further—thanks to a $3,000 matching challenge that will double the impact of your gift. Our goal is to raise $10,000 to sustain and expand these life-changing training programs, ensuring that more young people can gain skills, confidence, and meaningful employment experience.

Thank you for helping us make this vision possible.

Paul Ramsour

Executive Director, Elpis Enterprises